The Cleveland Cavaliers (20-11, 14-2 Home) host the Utah Jazz (17-15, 6-10 Away) Monday in a matchup that pits superb defense against potent offense. Utah was dominated by the Milwaukee Bucks 123-97 at Fiserv Forum on Saturday, their fifth loss in a row away from home.
Lauri Markkanen was a top performer in the losing effort with 18 points. The Jazz are the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Cleveland won their third in a row in a close one on Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, beating the Dallas Mavericks 100-99 in overtime.
Donovan Mitchell topped the scoresheet with 25 points. With 18 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, Darius Garland also produced a strong performance. The Cavaliers are third in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics.
The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Utah and Cleveland split their matchups last season, winning one game apiece. The Cavaliers came out on top in the last meeting 111-91 at Vivint Arena on January 12. Lamar Stevens led the Cavaliers with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Jordan Clarkson had 22 points in defeat. The Jazz have been led this season by Markkanen and Clarkson, who are averaging 22.3 and 19.9 points per game, respectively. Both are among the league’s top scorers, as Markkanen is No. 1 and Clarkson is first.
Markkanen also has grabbed 8.3 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, while Clarkson has dished 4.6 assists per game, most in the league. Mitchell’s 29.5 points per game have powered the Cavs on offense. He has the top scoring average in the league.
Jarrett Allen is posting 10.3 rebounds per game, most in the league, and Garland is tallying 8.0 assists (1st). The Cavaliers are the NBA’s leaders in defensive efficiency, while the Jazz rank fifth in offensive efficiency.
The Jazz are 4-6 in their last 10 games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Cleveland is pursuing a fourth successive win at home this season.In the last 10 games, Utah is 5-5 with an average margin of +0.5 (117.4-116.9). Cleveland has gone 7-3 over the last 10, scoring 105.6 points per game on average while holding opponents to 99.6 (+6.0 margin).
JAZZ HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Walker Kessler: 17.2 | 13.0 | +4.2
Points per game:
Malik Beasley: 19.6 | 14.4 | +5.2
Rebounds per game:
Walker Kessler: 8.4 | 6.0 | +2.4
Assists per game:
Mike Conley: 5.5 | 7.4 | -1.9
CAVALIERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Kevin Love: 11.5 | 18.0 | -6.5
Rebounds per game:
Kevin Love: 4.8 | 6.7 | -1.9
Assists per game:
Donovan Mitchell: 2.8 | 4.6 | -1.8
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Utah Jazz +6.5 (-115)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
